I'll Take the Bullet
by Jubilee Nation
Summary: Castiel is searching for God.  This search takes him to a bar, where he encounters a woman who may be able to help him on his search. Will he be able to do what is necessary in return? And what happens when that pesky archangel finds them both?
1. In Which an Angel Walks into a Bar

As far as timeline goes, this takes place before the apocalypse has started. Castiel is still searching for God, and is trying to prevent a civil war. He's rebelled against the other angels, and they are out to stop him.

It was a characteristically arid night just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada when the man ducked into the Last Resort. It was a rundown old bar with a loyal customer base. It was the kind of place that mostly catered to locals, though every once in awhile someone would wind up off the beaten bath and found themselves at the old oak bar. Naomi watched as the man shuffled over to the bar and took a seat at one of the stools. She looked at the clock and then checked him out. He had at least a day's worth of stubble on his face. He wasn't very tall, but he was in good shape. He had broad shoulders and he carried himself in a deliberate way. Naomi scanned his tan trench coat and tie and pegged him as a business man who'd wandered too far from his hotel. She sauntered over confidently and propped a hand on her hip.

"Late night?" Naomi asked with a bright smile. The man looked up at her and squinted. He had blue eyes that turned down a smidge at the corners. Dark, mahogany brown hair that was just long enough to run your fingers through. He was handsome even with the deadpan expression.

"I don't understand what you mean." The man answered after a pause. His tone had a slightly harsh edge to it. He looked over the woman standing in front of him. She was pretty by human standards, he was sure. She had shoulder length blonde hair that framed her heart shaped face. She had full, pouty lips and green eyes. She didn't wear very much makeup, and she was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans.

"Can I get you something to drink? I can only serve you for the next hour and then the bar's closed." Some of the friendliness left her voice. She wasn't expecting that kind of response. This guy was definitely going to be one to remember.

"Yes. But I'm not sure what." The man answered in his somber tone. Naomi bit her lip and lifted her eyebrows. The man cleared his throat. "Just a beer I guess. Whatever you think is good."

Naomi grabbed a glass and filled it up from the tap at the bar. She set the glass on a coaster and slid it in front of the man. He held it between his hands for a bit before lifting the glass to his lips and taking a sip. He drank deeply before setting the glass back down on the coaster. Naomi leaned her elbows on the bar and leaned over so she was closer to the man.

"What's your name?" She asked. It had been a slow night, and Naomi often found that chatting up the patrons earned her better tips. She was sure this guy had to have some good stories, as well.

"My name is not important." The man said abruptly. He stared down at the beer and took another deep gulp. He finished the glass and slid it over to the woman and gave her a nod. The woman was so close to him, he could smell the perfume coming off her neck. She refilled his glass and set it back down in front of him before leaning against the counter behind her. The man looked up and gave her an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry. I forget how to be human sometimes." He said as he ran a hand through his hair. "My name is Castiel."

"That's quite the name." Naomi said as she crossed her hands in front of her stomach. "What brings you out to this hellhole at this time of night? You're quite awhile from anything else."

"This is not a hellhole." Castiel said with a snort. He glanced around at the vintage signs on the wall and the worn pool tables. He was the only patron. "It smells about the same, though."

"Touch ." Naomi said with a wink. She walked closer and held out her hand. "Naomi. Nice to meet you, Castiel." Castiel examined her hand before taking it and giving it a quick squeeze.

"If you must know, I'm looking for God." Castiel answered as his hand absentmindedly reached up to touch the front of his shirt. Pressing the pendant against his skin, he could feel it was still cold.

"Trust me, honey. No God in his right mind would hang out here." Naomi smirked.

"You are probably right." Castiel sighed and looked back down at the bar. Naomi was about to say something when the door to the door burst open. Naomi jumped and quickly narrowed her eyes when she saw the newcomers.

It was a trio of men all laughing and carrying on loudly. Naomi recognized them instantly. One of them, the ringleader, looked over at her and winked before saying something to one of his friends. The friend looked over, and the whole group's laughter was refreshed. They took their place around one of the pool tables as the ringleader sauntered over to the bar. He was tall and gangly. He was good looking with close cropped blonde hair and that confidant grin on his face. Naomi crossed her arms in front of her chest as the man leaned against the bar next to Castiel.

"Hey there sugar." He said with a smirk. His breath reeked of alcohol.

"Hello Chris." Naomi replied tersely. "Making one last stop?"

"They don't call this the last resort for nothing." Chris grinned. He knocked Castiel with his elbow and smirked. "Ain't that right pal?"

"I am not your pal. Please don't touch me." Castiel sneered back. Chris' smile faded a little but he turned his attention back to Naomi.

"We're going to need some pitchers." Chris slurred. "We might be here awhile."

"We close at 2, Chris. You know that." Naomi reminded sternly as she filled two pitches with beer and set them on the bar. She grabbed three glasses off the stack and set them next to the two pitchers.

"Maybe we'll be ready to go then, maybe not." Chris said with a wink as he scooped everything up in his hands and went back to the pool table.


	2. Friendly Advice

2 am rolled around, and Chris and his friends were still noisily keeping themselves entertained. Castiel was still sitting at the bar and had drunk more then Naomi would have expected. He stuck out like a sore thumb sitting at the bar in his trench coat and suit. Naomi sighed and went to the backroom to turn off the taps. She knew Chris, he'd raise a scene. But laws were laws. Naomi stopped to use the bathroom and while washing her hands examined her reflection. She looked pale, especially for the area. That was just what happened when you mostly worked late nights, Naomi thought with a shrug. She pulled her hair back and tied it into a loose ponytail. She wasn't wearing very much makeup tonight, weeknights were always slow and she hadn't had time before work. She pulled some lip gloss out of her pocket and reapplied it quickly before returning to the bar.

Chris was sitting close to Castiel, his arm slung over the rigid man as he talked quietly in the man's ear. The empty pitchers sat in front of Chris. Castiel's eyes met Naomi's as she came back behind the bar. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Chris.

"The taps are off, Chris." Naomi said. "Why don't you back off and leave the other patrons alone?"

"My dear Mimi, I was simply giving my buddy here some advice." Chris slurred drunkly as he patted the front of Castiel's chest. Castiel looked away from Naomi.

"I don't need advice." Castiel said in his scratchy voice. "And I already said I'm not your buddy."

"Buddy, you're wasting your time on this chick. She's nice to look at, I'll give you that, but she's crazy." Chris advised as he leaned his head close to Castiel. "You get her in bed, and she starts yelling out old boyfriend's names and talking about angels and demons, some real X-files shit, you feel me?"

Naomi gritted her teeth and crossed her arms. Castiel's shoulders had become even more rigid and he clenched his jaw as he stared straight ahead at the bar.

"Chris, it's time for you to go." Naomi said. Her voice sounded shakier then she meant it to.

"Oh, she's going to tell you that they're not old boyfriends, but come on." Chris continued. He looked over at Naomi and gave her a mocking wink. "It's all 'Sam! Dean!', I'm telling you."

Castiel's face shot around to look at Naomi's. He shoved Chris hard off of him. The drunk man lost balance easily and toppled off the stool and onto the floor as Castiel stood up. The two men from the pool table noticed the disturbance and came over to help Chris up off the floor.

"Is this guy giving you some trouble, Chris?" Asked the shorter of his friends as he held onto Chris until the man regained control of his balance.

"You and your friends need to leave. Now." Castiel growled sternly. Naomi was frozen. One of Chris's friends was circling around to get behind Castiel, while the other two got closer to the man's face. Chris was a few inches taller then Castiel, but the trench coat wearing man was standing tall and meeting the other man's eyes with his chin up.

"You think you're tough, huh? Here I was trying to give you some friendly advice, and you're too good for it?" Chris said as he flashed amused glances to both of his friends. "You think you stand a chance against the three of us?"

"I think you should leave before I have to hurt you." Castiel threatened in his deadpan tone. The shorter buddy behind Castiel laughed and shoved Castiel's shoulders, causing the man to lurch forward. Castiel never broke his gaze from Chris.

"Chris, you and you friends need to get out of here before I call the cops on all of you." Naomi cautioned. Chris ignored her.

"You must think you're something, huh?" Chris said as he took another step closer to Castiel. He nodded to his friend behind the man, and the friend grabbed Castiel around the chest. He pinned Castiel's arms to the side as Chris prepared to start punching.

In a flash, Castiel used the man behind him for leverage and drew both legs up and into Chris' stomach. The man holding him fell backwards and Castiel disentangled himself and stood to face Chris. Chris was off balance and swung wildly but missed Castiel. The taller of the friends lunged at Castiel, and Castiel kneed him in the stomach before shoving him off to the side. He went to turn back to Chris, but the shorter man was up and charging at him. Castiel grabbed the man's shoulder, and the man collapsed into unconsciousness. Naomi was stunned. What kind of move was that? She had seen a lot of barfights, but never anything like that.

Castiel turned back to Chris just in time to catch a fist to the mouth. He punched the man back and grabbed his shoulder as well, causing him to collapse the same as the first man. He turned to where the third man was standing defensively a few feet away. Castiel wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Get your friends out of here." Castiel said with a dismissive look. "Unless you want to end up like them."

The man cursed but started to drag the two prone men out the door. Castiel came back over to where Naomi was standing stunned at the bar. His bottom lip was swollen from where he had caught the punch, but he didn't look too bad.

"What is your real name?" Castiel asked.

"Let me get you some ice." Naomi said quickly as she tried to walk away. Castiel grabbed her arm just above the elbow firmly and she froze in her tracks.

"What is your real name?" Castiel repeated.

"Mara Webb." Naomi answered softly. Castiel let go of her arm and winced as he felt his forehead.

"A prophet? Here?" He muttered to himself. "Is this why I was drawn here?"

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about." Naomi said quickly as she backed up from Castiel. Her heart was pounding.

"You get headaches? And then you start spouting information about angels and demons? About Sam and Dean Winchester?" Castiel asked rapid-fire.

"I guess I do. Look, I don't even know what I'm saying or what it means. I never remember it and it always just freaks out the people that I'm with whenever I trigger the headaches." Naomi answered as she crossed her hands over her chest.

"What do you mean? You can trigger them?" Castiel asked as he narrowed his eyes at the girl.

Naomi blushed as she explained. Castiel felt himself go pale. He knew he had to get her to have a vision. It could help him on his search. Why else would he have felt compelled to go here? Castiel excused himself as he pulled out his cell phone and searched through his contacts. He knew just the man for the job.


	3. A Proposition

"Hello?" barked the voice on the other end of the line.

"Dean, it's me." Castiel said cautiously. He would have to choose his words wisely.

"Cas? Why are you calling me so late?" Dean asked. Castiel could hear the irritation in his voice.

"Dean, I need you to meet me at a bar just outside Las Vegas." Castiel paused before continuing. "There is a bartender here, and I need you to sleep with her for me. I think that is the right term?"

"Excuse me? There is no way I just heard you right." Dean nearly dropped the phone from the surprise of the request.

"She's a prophet, but her visions seem to be connected to sex. Her name is Mara Webb." Castiel explained.

"So let me understand this. You're asking me to leave here, drive all the way to Las Vegas, and have sex with a waitress on the off chance that it triggers a vision?"

"She is a bartender, this establishment does not appear to serve food. But yes, that is what I need from you." Castiel answered. On the other end there was a roar of laughter.

"Listen Cas, I don't know what to tell you." Dean said finally once the laughter had subsided. "But I really think you're going to have to do this job yourself. Buck up. Take one for the team."

The line clicked and Castiel folded his phone and put it back in his jacket. If he was the type to curse, he would have let out a few expletives. Instead, he shook his head and stared up at the ceiling. Naomi came back into the room carrying something in her hand. Castiel hadn't noticed she had left. She walked over to Castiel and grabbed him by the arm.

"Come over here and sit down. I got some ice for your lip." Naomi said as she led him to the barstool. She carefully dabbed the corner of his mouth with a rag containing ice. "That's not going to be pretty in the morning."

"I'll be fine. I've had worse." Castiel answered quickly and dismissively.

"I'll bet. You spend a lot of time fighting, Castiel?" Naomi asked as she kept the ice firmly pressing on the corner of his bottom lip.

"That is not of import." Castiel squinted his eyes at Naomi. "I need to ask you for something."

"Is that so?" Naomi smirked. She sat back and set the rag on the bar. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I know you to be a prophet of the Lord. Because of that, I need you to permit me to have sex with you. I believe if we trigger a vision from you, I will be one step closer to finding God." Castiel explained slowly and surely. Naomi just stared at him with her eyebrows raised, completely speechless. "I do not understand why you haven't given me an answer."

"I can't decide if you're crazy, or if I somehow misheard what you just asked." Naomi answered. She narrowed her eyes at Castiel.

"I promise you, everything I've told you is the truth. I called and requested Dean come here to aid us, but he is otherwise engaged at the moment so it will have to be me." Castiel waved her hand away from his lip. It didn't look as swollen as it had before, so maybe Chris hadn't hit him as hard as it looked.

"Castiel-" Naomi started. Castiel interrupted her.

"Cas. Maybe you should call me Cas. I think Dean and Sam do it to show some kind of camaraderie with me, and since we will have to end up getting very close in the near future, it may help you feel more comfortable around me." Castiel knit his eyebrows together and stared at her with his deep blue eyes. Naomi dropped the rag of ice on the counter and put both ands up in her hair as she scratched her scalp nervously.

"No, Castiel. I really don't think that's going to make me feel more comfortable around you given these circumstances." Naomi said. She dropped her hands and started feeling in her pockets for her cell phone. "I really think you might want to leave before I call the cops. I think tonight has officially surpassed my crazy threshold."

Castiel frowned but nodded as he made his way to the door. At the doorway, he paused and looked back at Naomi. He felt around in his trench coat pockets and Naomi began to sweat. Was he armed?

"I don't seem to have a piece of paper. Do you have one? I could leave you my number in case you change your mind." Castiel asked earnestly. Naomi shook her head, and Castiel gave her a small wave and left. Naomi quickly walked over the door and locked it before turning around to rest her back on the door. She looked around the mess in the bar. On the bright side, at least she would have plenty of time to clean and try and shake off what had just happened before returning home.

This story is just beginning. Should have the next chapters up soon as they're edited and uploaded. (:


	4. Problems & Bigger Ones

It was nearly 4 in the morning by the time Naomi got home. She lived alone in a tiny one bedroom house. It was nothing fancy, but the rent was cheap and it was comfortable. She let herself in through the back door and set her purse and keys on the kitchen counter. She locked the door behind her and stood on the rug while she started pulling off her shoes. She heard a noise and felt for the light switch. She flipped it on and gasped.

Chris was sitting at the kitchen table. His eye was swollen and red from the fight earlier. It was already starting to darken, and he would probably have a pretty dark black eye soon. He stood up and stood several feet from Naomi.

"Where's your boyfriend at, Mimi? I was hoping to get a shot at him, but I guess you'll do." Chris slurred.

He took a step closer and Naomi saw the knife in his hand. She looked over at her purse and wondered if she could grab her phone and get out. She took a step back and twisted the doorknob behind her back before remembering she had locked it. She started fidgeting with the lock in the middle of the knob but her fingers wouldn't cooperate.

Chris lunged towards her. Time seemed to speed up. Naomi could feel her face against Chris's neck. She could feel his arms curved around her back, gripping her to his chest. She closed her eyes bracing for the stab, but didn't feel it. She ran her arms up the front of his coat. Something in Naomi's mind clicked. Something wasn't right. Naomi took a step back and the arms released her. Castiel had appeared in front of her. He was standing right there, like he had appeared out of thin air. His eyes stared into hers with a look of sadness deep in them.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Chris' bewildered voice broke the silence. Castiel turned and Naomi gasped and her hand flew up to her mouth when she saw the knife sticking out of his lower back.

"I was lenient to you before." Castiel said as he slowly started walking towards Chris. His gruff voice held an angry tone to it. "But if you continue I will not be easy on you this time."

Chris' eyes were wide and full of panic. He looked around the kitchen and fumbled to pull one of the other knives out of the wooden block on the counter. Naomi stared on in horror. She was completely frozen in place. Chris lunged forward again, this time burying a knife deep into Castiel's chest. Castiel punched Chris hard in the temple, and the man fell to the ground. Castiel reached behind him and yanked the knife out without so much as a wince before pulling the knife out of his chest. He dropped them on the kitchen floor and leaned over Chris.

"Stop!" Naomi yelled as she moved forward and grabbed Castiel's arm. Castiel turned and met her stare with an angry gaze. "Don't kill him."

"I'm not going to kill him. I'm going to make him forget all this happened and transport him far from here." Castiel reached his hand out and touched Chris' head.

Castiel's fingers glowed, and the room was filled with a bright light. When it faded, Naomi and Castiel were alone in the kitchen. Castiel's back was still to Naomi. He shrugged off his trench coat and examined it in his arms. Naomi's eyes were locked on the spreading bloodstain on the back of his white shirt.

"You're hurt." Naomi said cautiously as she set her hand on his back.

"I'll be fine. My coat is ruined." Castiel sighed and tossed his coat in the trash before turning to face Naomi. The front of his shirt was coated in blood as well.

"What is going on?" Naomi demanded. "I can't even begin to even- How aren't you hurting right now? Is it the adrenaline? You didn't even blink when he-"

"I'm an angel." Castiel answered simply, like Naomi would consider that a sane reason. "I am a servant of the Lord."

"You're an angel who's looking for God?" Naomi was starting to feel faint. This was all too much.

"I need to go change into some other clothes." Castiel said gruffly. "I'll be back soon."

"You're just going to go to your secret angel lair? Change into a new trench coat and the pop back in for some tea?" Naomi was starting to convince herself this was all a dream.

"It's not that secret, it's a storage container." Castiel answered as he narrowed his eyes at her. "But yes, I will be back soon."

Naomi buried her face in her palms and rubbed her eyes. She had to be asleep. This whole night was just some kind of elaborate hallucination or dream. There was no way any of this was really happening. Naomi heard a whooshing noise, and when she lifted her head, she was alone in the kitchen. She took a few steps, convinced she really was going crazy and was imagining things. Her foot hit something and she heard a metallic clink. Naomi looked down and saw the two blood-covered knives Castiel had pulled out of his body.

"There's no way he's an angel." Naomi said to herself. "This is just too weird." She heard another whooshing noise and felt her hair move in an invisible breeze.

"It's the truth, whether or not you can accept it. I'm sorry for coming here, but I need your help." Castiel's voice came from right behind her. Naomi spun and he was standing inches away. She startled and fell backwards onto the ground. Castiel kneeled down in front of her. He was dressed the way he had been when she first saw him. The shirt was perfectly white, as if nothing had happened.

"You were hurt." Naomi stated. Castiel sighed and stood up. He held out a hand to Naomi and she took it gingerly as he helped her up. He took off his trench coat and set it on the counter before tugging his shirt out of his pants. He held it up before spinning around. Naomi placed a hand on his back where the knife had been. The skin was perfect and smooth, like nothing had ever happened. "How is this possible?"

"I healed." Castiel sighed again as his voice sounded moderately annoyed. He let go of his shirt but didn't tuck it back in. "I don't understand what other proof you require."

"You think I could have a vision and help?" Naomi asked carefully. "Help you find God? If you're an angel, why do you need to find God? Shouldn't you know where he is?"

"It doesn't work like that. I am working with humans to stop the apocalypse. My brothers do not agree with my choices. God is missing, he hasn't stepped in yet and I have no idea why. My guess is that this is a test." Castiel started pacing from side to side. "I only know of one other prophet currently, and he would call me if he had any new information."

"So you just need me to-" Naomi trailed off. Castiel nodded. "Well. That sounds simple enough."

"Look, I know this situation isn't ideal. I'm not very excited about it myself. But at this point, I have to take a chance on anything that could help." Castiel ran a hand through his hair and tugged at his tie to loosen it.

"You're not making me feel any more on board with this, Castiel." Naomi said with a laugh. "Give me some time to think about this. Let me sleep on it."

"Time is something I don't have the luxury of. I'd rather get this over with now." Castiel said point-blank.

"Can I take a bath? Just to clear my head. Twenty minutes is all I'm asking for." Naomi dropped her arms in defeat.

"Fine. Twenty minutes." Castiel answered grimly. He looked at the bloody knives on the ground and gestured around the kitchen. "I'll clean up this mess."


	5. Acceptance

Naomi tied her hair up in a bun and slowly dipped her body into the warm water. Her head was swimming. It was a lot to take in. Castiel. Angels. Visions that could change the future, or at the very least, predict it. Chris' behavior escalating the way it did tonight, and Castiel doing who knows what to make him disappear. This pressure to have sex with a man- no, an angel- who clearly wasn't very enthused about the idea.

But on the other hand, Naomi was no virgin. She'd certainly had sex with guys for worse reasons. Like Chris, for example. Castiel was attractive, so that wasn't really a problem either. And if it were true that doing so could help the world.. Well, it was just selfish of Naomi to not even try. The lack of sleep was getting to her, Naomi decided. There was no other reason she would humor such an idea.

She was yanked out of her thoughts by a tentative knock on the bathroom door. Naomi startled and turned her gaze to the door.

"Yes?" Naomi asked as she pulled her knees up in front of her chest. She couldn't remember if she'd locked the bathroom door, but since Castiel could seemingly just appear wherever he felt like, she didn't think it would have made a difference.

"It has been twenty minutes. I just wanted to remind you about our agreement." Castiel said hesitantly.

"I'll be out in a minute." Naomi said with a sigh. She pulled the drain in the tub and got out.

"I've been meaning to ask," Castiel said from the other side of the door. "Why do you go by Naomi? Why don't you go by your real name?"

"I don't know." Naomi started to dry herself off with a towel. "It was my mom's idea, I think. She just said it'd be better for me."

"Did your mother have visions?" Castiel asked. "What was her name?"

"Castiel, can you please not hover outside the door?" Naomi asked with irritation lacing her voice. She brushed out her hair and rubbed the fog off the mirror to examine herself. "Just go wait somewhere else."

There was silence on the other side of the door, so Naomi finished getting dressed. She left the bathroom and looked for Castiel. He wasn't in her kitchen, and Naomi started to wonder if he had left. She found him standing in her living room looking at some framed photographs sitting out.

"I decided I'll do it." Naomi said finally. "I mean, just this one time. And if it doesn't work, you need to leave me alone. Okay?"

"I am okay with those terms." Castiel said stiffly. He set the photograph down and went to sit on the couch. Naomi joined him, but sat as far as possible from him. They sat in silence for several moments.

"So. How do you suggest we start?" Naomi asked. She could see the nervous look in Castiel's face.

"I think we should both imbibe copious amounts of alcohol." Castiel said. Naomi stared at him for a few moments before speaking.

"Wow, Cas. You really know just how to warm a woman's heart." Naomi said finally.

"I'm not trying to make you fall in love with me." Castiel wouldn't make eye contact with Naomi. He kept staring off at random points in the room. "I'm just trying to make this easier for both of us."

"Have you ever been with someone, Castiel?" Naomi asked as it hit her. Castiel's cheeks became slightly tinged with pink. Naomi couldn't help but smile a little at the awkward angel. "Oh. I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"Why would you be sorry about that?" Castiel sounded genuinely confused by her comment as he turned back to meet her gaze. "I just never needed to, okay?"

"It's fine. I understand." Naomi said quickly. They sat awkwardly in silence for several minutes. Naomi tapped her fingers on her knee and Castiel scanned around the room.

"Maybe alcohol wasn't a bad idea. Let me see what I have." Naomi started to stand but Castiel grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to the couch. Her knees bumped into Castiel's legs. Castiel turned to face Naomi. He pushed back some of her hair with his hand. She turned to look at him. His eyes looked so vulnerable, Naomi felt her heart leap and her stomach do a flip. She turned her body to face Castiel and took a deep breath. She leaned forward and brought her lips to his. Castiel's body was like stone. He sat there rigid as she rested her hand on his stiff shoulder. After a little bit of trying to kiss a statue, Naomi sat back.

"I don't think this is going to work." She shook her head. "You've got to give me something to work with, Cas."

"I'm not very good at trying to be human." Castiel looked away abruptly. "I've been trying to look at Jimmy's memories and get an idea of what I should follow."

"Who's Jimmy?" Naomi asked. She was hoping this wasn't going to get weirder.

"The vessel. The one that owns this body. I'm just a visitor." Castiel sounded agitated by how little Naomi knew about angels.

"Well. That's not weird at all." Naomi adjusted her clothes and looked around the room. "What was it you suggested? Copious amounts of alcohol? That sounds good to me about now."

"That won't be necessary." Castiel answered. He sighed and placed a hand on Naomi's cheek. He brushed his hand back and into her hair as he brought his face to hers. His lips were soft and tentative, but he figured out a comfortable rhythm.

Naomi rested her hands on Castiel's shoulders until she felt his body start to relax. She dropped her hands down to his chest and started tugging at his tie before starting to undo the buttons on his white button-down shirt. His chest was strong and solid and Naomi found herself forgetting about the weirdness this whole situation held as her hormones took over.

Castiel's arm curved behind her waist as he leaned into her. Naomi drew her legs up over his lap as she leaned back onto the couch. Her head was spinning and she could only imagine how he felt. One of his hands was buried deep in her hair while the other pinned her hip down under him. She finished unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it down over his shoulders before breaking their kiss to pull the tie over his head. He nuzzled his head into her neck and she squirmed at the feeling of his hot breath and stubble on the delicate skin.

Naomi reached down and grabbed onto the thin undershirt and pulled it up and off of Castiel. She ran her hands across the soft, warm skin on his shoulders and back. He pulled his head back to stare at her face with his beautiful blue eyes. He ran his hand over her lips and down her neck to her collarbone before kissing her again. He started pulling her shirt up but it was caught under her back. She placed her hands flat on his chest and pushed, trying to lean her torso up enough to get her shirt off. He broke the kiss and tried to back up, but he lost his balance and fell on floor next to the couch.

"We should probably move this to a bigger piece of furniture." Naomi said. Her voice was breathless and her lips felt swollen. Castiel stared up at her and nodded. She could see his chest rising and falling quickly.

Naomi stood and reached a hand out to Castiel. He took it, and she helped him up. His eyes bore into hers and she led him down the hallway towards her bedroom. Castiel was intoxicated by the feelings coming from inside his vessel. They were nothing compared to the feelings of annoyance and rarely anger he felt when dealing with his charges. He pulled Naomi close and pressed her against the wall with his pelvis. He dug his hand deep into the hair at the base of her neck and kissed her hard. He picked her up easily and carried her through the open door at the end of the hall.

In the living room, his cell phone vibrated noisily against the floor from within his trench coat. After several attempts, it went silent.


	6. Unusual Creatures

"Hey Sam?" Dean asked. His brother looked up from the pile of files in front of him on the desk. "What'd Castiel say that girl's name was? Mara right? Mara Webb?"

"I think so. He's not answering his cell?" Sam's eyebrows knit together in concern.

"I got his voicemail. I think." Dean answered gruffly. He frowned at his phone before hitting the buttons for 411.

"You don't think Cas would really.." Sam trailed off with a small chuckle.

"Come on, it's Cas." Dean snorted. "Hell, if he did, I'd congratulate him. Yes, hello? I need to get a phone number for a Mara Webb. Somewhere around Las Vegas, Nevada."

The phone rang, pulling Naomi out of the current situation. She looked over at the clock. 6 AM. No one would be calling her this early. At least, no one she would want to stop what she was doing and answer the phone for. Castiel stopped moving and looked down at her.

"Do you need to answer that?" His eyebrows were furrowed to match his frown.

"If it's that important, they'll leave a message." Naomi shook her head. She grabbed Castiel and pulled him back down to her.

Castiel squinted as he examined the woman laying next to him. Humans were such unusual creatures. He pushed back some of her hair to watch her face. She was peaceful and relaxed inside a deep sleep. Castiel paused briefly as he tried to shove back down his doubts. He hadn't received any useful information, really, he wasn't convinced she'd had a vision at all. She'd called out for God, but didn't really have anything to say besides that. It was better if she didn't remember this all, Castiel reasoned. He brought his fingers up to her forehead and wiped her memory of the previous night. He dressed quickly and after checking his cell and noticing Dean had called, transported himself out of Nevada.


	7. Not Over Yet

Naomi woke up and groggily rubbed her eyes. She stretched and enjoyed that lazy feeling you get after a full night's sleep. She peeked one eye open at the clock and cursed. She was going to be late to work. Which was strange, because she almost never slept in this late. Naomi tumbled into the shower and dressed quickly. She tried to recall the night before, but everything was a blank. She scanned her fridge, but there wasn't much to eat.

"Groceries. I did not buy groceries." Naomi muttered. She shoved aside a half-empty box of fried rice leftovers and pulled out a yogurt. After the date assured her it was safe to eat, she dug into it. She tossed the plastic cup into the trash and paused when something caught her eye.

"What the hell is that?" Naomi asked. She pulled the lid off the can and reached in. She pulled out a man's trench coat. She turned it around a few times and noted the large tear in the back.

"Last night I must have stabbed a private detective." Naomi mused before laughing at herself and dropping the trench coat back in the trash. "Not really Chris' style, but he had to have been here. I must have gotten pretty messed up last night."

Naomi went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and then tugged on her boots. She was walking through the hallway towards the back door when she noticed the light blinking on her answering machine. She pushed the button to play her messages.

"Hey there." A deep, very masculine voice Naomi didn't recognize boomed out of the speaker. "I'm just trying to find my angel. So if he's there, tell him to pick up the damn phone. Okay?"

Naomi blinked several times. She hit the delete button and deleted the message. Why did she always get the weirdest wrong number calls? Naomi shook her head and checked her watch before sprinting out the door to get to work.

That should have been the end of it all… But it wasn't. Castiel couldn't stop himself from returning to the bar that night. He knew that she wouldn't have any memories left over, but he still had to see for himself that she was safe. He didn't want to risk the wall coming down and her remembering everything, but he needed to make sure all the loose ends were tied up. It was a busier night than the night before. There was a football game on tv, and a few other bartenders working. Castiel took a seat at the end of the bar.

She looked rested and cheerful. She bounced from patron to patron easily. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. A few times, he thought he saw something black and smoky in the corner of his eye, but it always vanished by the time he turned his head. Castiel tried to remind himself that she was a prophet, and that if any harm came to her, she would be protected and saved. He still felt some uneasiness in his stomach. He closed his eyes and concentrated on trying to silence the emotion. Spending so much time in the human world was making it harder and harder to keep from feeling. Castile didn't like feeling human. They were so weak, so easily led by what they felt instead of what was best for the world.

Naomi noticed the man sitting alone on the far end of the bar. He wasn't in her section, but she was feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. Maybe it was that familiar looking beige trench coat. Maybe he just had one of those faces. Naomi paused but she couldn't kick the feeling nagging at her brain. She walked over to the man who sat staring down at an empty glass.

"Can I get you another one?" Naomi asked cheerfully. The man squinted up at her under narrowed eyebrows before looking down again.

"No, I was just getting ready to leave." The man trailed his thumb around the base of the glass.

"This is going to sound strange, but have we met before?" Naomi brushed her hair back.

"Not that you recall." The man said with a dismissive squint. He slid money onto the counter and walked out of the bar.

"What a strange man." Naomi mused. She grabbed the glass and put it in the tray to go back to the kitchen while she replayed the conversation in her head. What exactly did he mean? Had she met him before?

Naomi finished wiping down the counters while Andy locked up. She liked the nights when she didn't have to close alone, and she was especially thankful for it tonight. She still couldn't shake the weird feeling she'd had haunting her. Something just didn't feel right. She was loading up the dishwasher when she heard a noise behind her. Naomi jumped and spun around.

"You scared the crap out of me." Naomi laughed nervously when she saw it was only Andy standing in the kitchen behind her. "It's not my night. I keep getting the willies."

"You're right about that." Andy said strangely. Naomi felt her heart stop. Something wasn't right. Andy's face was deadpan. He took a step closer to her and Naomi felt the panic begin.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to go home." Naomi tried to will her voice to hold steady and not tremble.

"I'll bet you are, Mara." Andy took another step closer to her. Naomi's heart was pounding. She'd never told anyone at work her real name. It was silly, but her mother had gotten her in the habit of keeping it a secret. Naomi scanned the room for an escape route. She wasn't confidant she could slip past him and make it to the door.

"Don't play games, Andy." Naomi took a step back and felt behind her for anything she could throw at him. "This isn't funny. You're scaring me."

"You should be scared." Andy blinked, and his eyes turned all black. Naomi gasped. Something was definitely not right here. "But I do like playing games."

Naomi hurled a glass at him and tried to run past him. He knocked the glass away easily and grabbed onto her arm. She shoved and stomped with all the force she could. She grabbed another glass off the counter and smashed it into the side of his head, but he barely blinked. He didn't even seem to notice when blood was running down the side of his head and neck. Naomi twisted her arm at shoved hard and finally managed to get her wrist out of Andy's hand. She sprinted out the door and towards the door of the bar. She could hear Andy, or whatever he was at this point, laughing behind her.

She'd taken a few steps past the pool tables when she noticed she wasn't alone in the bar. Several of the patrons were standing around. Their eyes were all dark pools of black. Naomi turned spun around in the room, but she was surrounded. Her breath was ragged. From above the pool tables, a bright light started to explode from the hanging lamps. A piercing noise exploded from inside her head. Naomi's hands flew up to her temples and she collapsed down to the ground.

_I can save you. If you let me._

"Who are you?"

_It does not matter. I can save you, if only you let me in._

"What's wrong with them? What do they want?"

_They want to kill you. They are possessed by demons. Will you let me save you?_

"This is crazy. This can't be happening." 

_It is. Trust, and have faith in me. Will you let me in? _

"Yes."


	8. A Visitor

Castiel stood in the middle of his storage compartment. It wasn't a huge space, but it held all his essentials. He had a clothing rack full of suits and trench coats, as well as a shelf full of the other things life on Earth as a human required. He had a large desk and chair on one end and a bookcase with many books nearby. He picked up the candle off his desk and lit it. It cast a soft light around him, while leaving the edges of the compartment dark.

Castiel sighed and shrugged off his trench coat. He laid it over the back of his chair as he took out the long, silver blade and lay it on the seat of the chair. He loosened his tie and sat on the corner of the desk. This whole scenario had been a waste of time, and in the end, he was no closer than he had been when he started. He was starting to feel frustrated, and he hated that. He hated that he was feeling anything, especially an emotion that left him feeling so weak.

He felt the presence before he heard it. Several of the papers rustled on his desk as he felt the wave of air wash over the compartment. Castiel casually pulled his leg up onto the seat of the chair and nudged the silver blade with his toe until it was under the cover of the trench coat.

"Why don't you just come out and tell me what you want." Castiel said gruffly over his shoulder. He heard a woman's low chuckle.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Her voice was mischievous, but he could hear the threatening tone inside. Castiel reached out mentally, trying to get an idea of who was in the room with him. It didn't take him long to recognize one of his own.

"Camael. They still consider you an archangel?" Castiel gritted his teeth. He stood and leaned against the desk as he faced the shadows where the voice was coming from.

"Just because the Catholic Church doesn't want to recognize me doesn't mean I got a demotion." Camael came out of the shadows with a pout on her face. Except, it wasn't her face. It was Naomi's. Castiel's eyes widened as he quickly pushed back the confusion. He felt anger brewing up inside of him.

"Archangels are taking over prophets now? That's a funny way to keep them safe." Castiel spat out at the smirking angel.

"She's perfectly safe with me." Camael's eyes glittered in the candlelight as she smirked at Castiel. "And she's really not much of a prophet. But of course, you know that. I'm quite interested by this vessel's memories. That and the lengths you'd go to in order to ignore your orders and try to find God."

"What tricks have you been up to, Camael?" Castiel growled as he ignored the knowing smile on Camael's face. He didn't want to acknowledge what she may have gathered from Naomi's thoughts and memories.

"Same old, same old. Nothing as tricky as you." Camael took a step closer to Castiel. He could still smell Naomi's perfume on her. "Are you just a rebellious, Castiel, or have you fallen?"

Camael reached her hand- no, Naomi's hand- to his temple and brushed a hand through his hair. Castiel's breath caught as the night before flashed through his mind. Camael laughed abrasively and he grabbed her by the shoulders. His eyes bore into hers, and she looked away briefly before smugly turning back to him with a mock pout.

"You shouldn't have left her alone. She was so scared. All that talk of her name caught the ears of some demons. She should have listened to Mommy and kept her name a secret. With all the prophesies and seal-breaking going around, it's a dangerous world for the chosen ones." Camael rolled her shoulders back and Castiel released her. She took a step back and looked him over. "You couldn't have thought that erasing her memories would protect her, did you?"

"I didn't expect that the angel meant to protect her would decide to use her as a vessel." Castiel turned his back to Camael. He placed both hands on the desk and lowered his head. He focused on Camael's place behind him.

"We can't choose our vessels, Castiel. It's in the blood. I was as surprised as you are, I'm sure." Camael purred at him in a soothing tone as she reached behind her back. "She practically begged me to take her over."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you were the one to tip off the demons." Castiel murmured. "Manipulating your way in just to go after me."

"You're a slippery one to find, after all." Camael slowly began sliding the long, silver blade out of the waistband of Naomi's jeans. "And desperate times, yada yada yada."

"After all the others who have come after me and failed, I would have expected more from you, Camael." Castiel nearly chuckled. Camael was caught off guard as Castiel grabbed the candle off the desk and in one quick motion, smashed it onto the ground behind him. A ring of flames sprang up around Camael. It was Castiel's turn to smirk. He sat back on the desk and crossed his arms across his chest, daring her to speak first.

"Well, aren't you the prepared one?" Camael held the silver blade up in front of her before setting it down on the ground. "And just what do you plan on doing now?"

"Oh, I'll think of something." Castiel stepped walked past the circle of holy oil towards the exit of the compartment. He stepped out into the cool night air. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone before dialing the only number he could think of. When he was finished, he returned Camael was sitting on the floor in the middle of the circle. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear.

"Castiel? What's going on? What am I doing here?" Her voice shook. She sounded like Naomi again.

Castiel moved closer to the circle, tilting his head as he examined the form in the circle. She stood slowly and held a hand out towards him.

"Help me, Castiel." she pleaded. "Put out this fire and get me out of here."

"You'll have to try harder than that, Camael." Castiel sat down in the chair behind the desk and crossed his arms.

"Some hero you are." Camael dropped the charade and glared at him. "What'd you do? Call your humans? What do you think they'll be able to do, huh?"

Castiel was silent.


	9. Call for Help

Castiel said nothing the rest of the night, despite Camael's constant pestering and attempts to get a rise out of him. When morning came, he heard a knock at the metal door of the compartment. He could hear Sam and Dean on the other side.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Sam asked. He looked around the deserted looking storage center.

"Come in." Castiel opened the door and they entered the compartment. Castiel took a quick look around outside before shutting the door behind them.

"Exactly what is going on, Cas?" Dean asked. It took him a second for his eyes to adjust to the dim light, and then he looked Camael up and down before looking back to Cas. "This is her?"

"Oh good, the boys are here." Camael bit her bottom lip provocatively. "You're doing all my work for me, Castiel."

"We need to rip her out of the vessel." Castiel ignored the other angel. "There has to be a way. A spell. Something that will take her out without killing the prophet."

"That's a tall order." Sam scratched his head as he stared skeptically at Camael. "I don't think I've seen anything in the lore that would even give us a clue where to start."

"I'll give you a clue." Camael rose her hand up like she was in class waiting to be called on by a teacher. "You have to be an archangel. You don't have the power, Castiel."

Castiel looked away and gritted his teeth. That was not the answer he wanted to hear, even if he knew it was probably the case. He looked back at Sam and Dean.

"If anyone can find a way, it's you two." Castiel shrugged. "I'm out of options. See what you can find out. If there's nothing, I'll just have to kill her."

"Kill her? But the prophet-" Sam's eyes darted from Castiel back to Camael as he trailed off.

"She's an archangel. She's known for removing anything that has outlived it's usefulness." Castiel stared over at Camael. She smiled back at him and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"And that means you?" Dean asked. Castiel nodded. "Look man, I'll see what we can do."

"I know you will, Dean." Castiel nodded at the Winchester boys as they left the compartment. Castiel sighed and sat back down at his desk.

Camael periodically taunted him and cackled at his silence, but Castiel was determined not to let her get to him. He didn't want to give up if there was a chance at saving Naomi, but at the same time… Castiel couldn't risk the archangel stopping him. In a way, he was lucky she had come alone. But Camael was always cocky about her assassinations. Castiel started to concoct a plan. She was impulsive, and her arrogance when it came to be in control of situations was something Castiel could exploit. Castiel pulled out his cell phone and checked the time. He didn't have long. The holy oil would burn for a few days if he was lucky. Castiel prayed the boys would find a solution. If they couldn't, Castiel knew what he would have to do.


End file.
